Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I recently spoke with a Powers Catholic High School graduate who played hockey for Powers Catholic when he studied there. He has since graduated and, as part of his life, helps train kids who play hockey. In our recently conversation he mentioned that some of the kids he trains have the drive to excel, and just need work with particular skill sets. But he struggles with other kids who want the trophies and the medals, but don’t want to put in the work to excel. They, like so many, have fallen prey to the cultural milieu that one can have it all without working for it and suffering for it.
St. Paul mentions in the epistle that he suffers for the Ephesians, which is their glory. Of course, St. Paul’s sacrifices for the spreading of the Gospel also meant his own glorification by God. But whether the Apostle directed the sufferings towards the people or towards himself, the sufferings yielded the results, not the ease of sitting at home.
To know Christ, in His expansive love, is to know suffering. But to know suffering for Christ is to know glory. Mothers know this when they carry a child in their womb for 9 months. Especially towards the end, mothers often can’t wait until the child is (safely) delivered. But the pain of childbirth leads to overwhelming joy at the birth of the fruit of marital love. Men know this with sports or the weight room. You cannot excel in a sport, you cannot grow muscles, if you’re not willing to push yourself beyond what you think your limit is and endure pain as muscle fibers break and repair. But when you win the championship, or when you are able to bench 225 lbs. or more, you recognize how much the sacrifices contributed to your success. Or for students when it comes to a class or test. Studying often does not feel good. The brain gets fatigued from going over again and again the material that you need to learn or be able to produce for a class or an exam. You put other fun activities on the back burner to make sure that you can truly comprehend the material and reproduce it for a teacher or professor. And when you pass the class or the exam, you feel a sense of relief and accomplishment.
That is true in my vocation as a priest and as your spiritual father. You are my cross and my glory. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy being with you and serving you. I love being at this parish and being your pastor. I am blessed beyond measure to be at such a beautiful church and serve wonderful people striving for holiness. But sometimes some of you drive me up a wall. And you may not be doing anything wrong or sinful, but I suffer for you to help you grow as best as I am able, though I myself am also subject to sin and driving you up a wall, I’m sure. You are my cross, but you are also my glory.
For spouses: you are each other’s crosses and glory. Again, it’s not like marriage should only be suffering through, like you grin and bear it. But every couple I know has moments where they don’t like each other, even while they love each other. Sometimes some idiosyncrasies manifest at just the wrong time. Or a word said in jest hurts especially because of what happened earlier in the day. Or the kids have decided that today is the day to get out all excess energy and fight with each other and ask a million questions, all while mom and dad are trying to provide and keep a good house. Your suffering for each other and your children is the way you’ll go to heaven.
If we wish to have true glory, we cannot seek after earthly honors and the highest place at the table. If we wish to have true glory then we cannot be all about having our will be executed by all. If we wish to have glory than we take up our cross and suffer for God through the daily crosses He allows in our lives. Because our cross is our glorification, just as it was for Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns for ever and ever.
